Opening Up Streets For All: A Recap of the 2016 Int'l Open Streets Summit

Sep 8

Outreach Manager Carlos Velazquez shares his experiences at the 2016 International Open Streets Summit, as the City of San Jose prepares to host the next edition of its Open Streets program, Viva CalleSJ, on September 18.Working on Viva CalleSJ, the City of San Jose’s Open Streets program, has blessed me in many ways. It’s connected me with talented and friendly City staff and partners, overwhelmed me with pride in my hometown during the first event last October 12, and last month, strengthened my commitment to make bicycling safe, fun, and accessible for all people.As part of the team that helped the City of San Jose produce the inaugural Viva CalleSJ in 2015, I was invited to present at the International Open Streets Summit, held August 18-21 in Portland, Oregon. Together with Brian Clampitt, of the City’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services, and Lieutenant Tommy Troy of the San Jose Police Department, we shared the challenges we faced and how we overcame many of them to a crowd of people from cities around the world, eager to launch Open Streets programs of their own.The Summit allowed me to ride on the network of bike lanes, greenways, bridges, and street designs that Portland is known for. I’ll never forget the feeling of seeing the sun set along the Willamette River, next to the downtown skyline, while on my bike. Of course, the Summit also offered me practical tools to improve our efforts to make Viva CalleSJ 2016 a success.Some of what I learned that still resonates with me includes:

Open Streets programs bring people out and together: Throughout the Summit, we heard stories of dense, traffic-congested cities coming alive with frolicking youth and adults, finally given the space to breathe and play through open streets. Of neighboring communities working together for the first time ever to produce a program they both could enjoy. I can’t wait to see what Viva CalleSJ is like on September 18, and to explore new places and people at the other Open Streets programs in Oakland, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and Salinas.

These programs must be followed by a solid bike infrastructure: At the Summit, I got to enjoy Portland’s new bike share program. Boasting 100+ stations across 8 square miles, they gave me the freedom to travel everywhere on bike lanes that made me feel safe and adventurous. But speaking with locals, they still did not adequately reach people in low-income communities. In my hometown of San Jose, we only have 16 stations, all in the downtown area (though plans are to expand). Having a safe bike lane network, and bike share stations in the South and East Sides of San Jose, would help folks whose only transportation option is an unreliable bike with no lights.

Equity means having communities decide their bicycling needs: I want to copy Portland’s Andando en Bicicletas en Cully (ABC) Group here locally! ABC comprises of Spanish-speaking, immigrant familias who work with community organizers from bicycling advocacy groups to host bike rides, advocate for bicycle storage and safe routes to school, and provide basic bicycle maintenance and training to friends and neighbors. Work that they decided was important to them. Here at SVBC, we’ve been having lots of conversations internally about how our work can be more equitable, and this seems like a great example to follow.

One big reason for joining SVBC was that I wanted to ride safely all over town not only for myself, but for people like my momma, my partner, and her daughter. All of them are now either bicyclists, or interested in being one because of Viva CalleSJ. The Open Streets Summit reinvigorated my commitment to make Viva CalleSJ and other Open Streets programs a success locally, expanded my understanding of SVBC’s advocacy around bike share, and gave me new ideas to address equity in the bicycling community.A special shout out to Ira Dixon, Program Manager for Community Cycling Center, who gave this vato a tour of their facilities, and talked bikes, sports, and equity with me while riding around the city; to Marcela Guerrero Casas of Open Streets Capetown who co-presented with us; and of course to Brian, Lieutenant Troy, and Ed from the City of San Jose, and SVBC boss Shiloh for giving me a chance to attend and present at the Summit.Interested in working with us on any of the above? Contact me!